iPhone Ramp Up? Analysts Weigh In on Rumors

[kenzbud]

I can't wait for MWSF. Whatever gets released I'm sure it won't dissapoint.

 

[Clive At Five]

Will iTV work with CRT TV's or will it just work with LCD and Plasmas?

It has RCA ports, so it'll work with anything with the same. It also has HDMI support, however, so it'll work even better with Hi-Def TVs

-Clive

 

[macmax77]

i can see it now

Steve:Hello
whomever:Hi Steve
Steve: Could you please call me back later, i am in the midle of the Keynote here, hehehehehe.

So folk, uhhhhhh, this is the new Apple Phone!!!!!

And the crowd goes wild!!!!!!!

I would go wild too if i could get another PowerPC chip instead of the Intel thing....

 

[nawk]

I'd have one in a heartbeat if they could shoe-horn one of these in

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6886

yeah - how far we've come

I would just like to point out that the photo does not match the drive they are describing -- very bad reporting. Look at the dimensions in the article -- that is NOT a picture of a 1.8" hard drive.

 

[MrFirework]

I got a chance to play around with the LG VX 8500 (aka "Chocolate") phone today, which bears a strong resemblance to the mockups...

I'm very much with you on this. When I first saw the Chocolate, I didn't know what it was and I remember thinking to myself, wow, that looks like the iPhone drawings/mockups. All I have to say is that if Apple's iPhone looks ANYTHING like something that's already out there it's BAD bad news for our beloved company.

 

[Clive At Five]

The chocolate has some cool features, (including the mp3 player), but it's got four horrible design flaws which any similar phone would have to avoid...

I think, in general, mixing touch-sensitive and pressure-sensitive buttons is a bad idea. Apple got lucky with the click-wheel... although it doesn't really have touch-sensitive "buttons" per se...

-Clive

 

[heisetax]

Office Mac 2007 or should we say 2008?

Truer words have never been spoken.

What about the tablet and the "True" video ipod? Also, will Adobe and Microsoft be there? Photoshop CS3, and a universal binary Office would be nice.

MS Office for the Mac will always come out later than the Windows MS Office. This is because MS needs time to see which features they want from the Windows version to appear in the Mac version. Then they have to decide how well they want these things to work cross platform. Actually MS says this later Mac release is to ensure that the Mac version is compatible with the Windows version. Whichever story you want to go by, they also say that it will take them 4, 6, 8 or maybe more months to ensure this.

If you remember, MS has not yet released MS Office for Windows. That means that the 4-8+ month waiting period has not yet started. They may have to change the name to Mac Office 2008 & have it introduced at MacWorld 2008.

Remember that Mac Office X was only a port from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS 10. With Rosetta working as good as it does with MS Office 2004, there is not the greatest need to bring out an iterim version. This will allow MS to come closer to meeting their 4-8+ month after Windows MS Office 2007 release. Just think how long we'd have to wait for a Mac Office release. Then it would be either Mac Office 2008 or even Mac Office 2009.

I'd rather only wait another year, not 2 years for the new Mac version of MS Office. There will be many changes in the new version if it is at all like the Windows version. Many of the things I do not like. Many of the things will just take time to get used to. The MS Office file format will be changing. That means that the Mac version will also have to be changing.

Just wait another year. Think, MacWorld 2008.

 

[Clive At Five]

I would go wild too if i could get another PowerPC chip instead of the Intel thing....

uhh..... why? The Intel Xeon quad-cores far outperform the G5 quad-cores, consume much less power, and universal bianaries of CS3 and Office 2007 will be out in a few months. Once that happens, there's very little reason to want a PPC... maybe if you wanted to find something to run OS 9 on, but you'll have to dive back into G4-land for that.

-Clive

 

[macmax77]

uhh..... why? The Intel Xeon quad-cores far outperform the G5 quad-cores, consume much less power, and universal bianaries of CS3 and Office 2007 will be out in a few months. Once that happens, there's very little reason to want a PPC... maybe if you wanted to find something to run OS 9 on, but you'll have to dive back into G4-land for that.

-Clive

I don't care, they made me fight for Apple since the 80's just to make me look stupid.

 

[BoyBach]

PS - A quick question, any of you know what was the best selling game console ever?

I think it was the Gameboy, followed by the PlayStation/PSone.

 

[randyg]

It's not a smartphone!

Again we see use of the word "smartphone", but from all indications this is simply going to be an ipod/phone. I wish the rumor mongers would stop refering to it as a smartphone, unless they are going to provide details to indicate that it really will be a smartphone, i.e: what the calendar will be like, address book, os it will use, etc.

 

[~Shard~]

He's being a Bastard. A proud one, at that.

Thanks for clarifying that on my behalf spicyapple, it's very much appreciated.

didn't Apple beat Vista 6 years ago????

Haha nice one, you are indeed correct.

 

[bwanac]

I'm very much with you on this. When I first saw the Chocolate, I didn't know what it was and I remember thinking to myself, wow, that looks like the iPhone drawings/mockups. All I have to say is that if Apple's iPhone looks ANYTHING like something that's already out there it's BAD bad news for our beloved company.

There are many slider phones out there. Its just another style like a flip-phone.

 

[Clive At Five]

I don't care, they made me fight for Apple since the 80's just to make me look stupid.

No one *made* you look stupid. You chose Apple. We all looked stupid. No one else misses the PPC... unless you like running energy guzzling processors and adding to the depletion of our rarer and rarer fossil fuels...

...you barbarian.

-Clive

 

[Goldfinger]

Munster (as reported by Appleinsider):

"Also likely, though with a slightly lower ranking of 6 out of 10, are rumblings that the iPhone will be available in 4GB and 8GB configurations, bundle an iSight camera, and work on multiple wireless carriers.'

"Unlikely rumors, which Munster calls "a stretch," include an ultra-portable 12-inch MacBook Pro (4 out of 10), radio-transparent material used for iPhone casing (3 out of 10), iPhone to feature "iChat Mobile" video and instant messaging (2 out of 10)..."


I find it interesting that Munster rated an iPhone with a iSight as a 6 out of 10, and the possibility that the iPhone will feature "iChat Mobile" as a 2 out of 10. Those are contradictary rankings if you ask me....I think it demonstrates how arbitrary these rankings from Munster are.

Why are they contradictory ? The phone having a camera doesn't mean it also has to have video chat features and instant messaging...
Maybe I'm missing something here but I'm not getting your logic here..

 

[pyramid6]

MS Office for the Mac will always come out later than the Windows MS Office. This is because MS needs time to see which features they want from the Windows version to appear in the Mac version. Then they have to decide how well they want these things to work cross platform. Actually MS says this later Mac release is to ensure that the Mac version is compatible with the Windows version. Whichever story you want to go by, they also say that it will take them 4, 6, 8 or maybe more months to ensure this.

If you remember, MS has not yet released MS Office for Windows. That means that the 4-8+ month waiting period has not yet started. They may have to change the name to Mac Office 2008 & have it introduced at MacWorld 2008.

Remember that Mac Office X was only a port from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS 10. With Rosetta working as good as it does with MS Office 2004, there is not the greatest need to bring out an iterim version. This will allow MS to come closer to meeting their 4-8+ month after Windows MS Office 2007 release. Just think how long we'd have to wait for a Mac Office release. Then it would be either Mac Office 2008 or even Mac Office 2009.

I'd rather only wait another year, not 2 years for the new Mac version of MS Office. There will be many changes in the new version if it is at all like the Windows version. Many of the things I do not like. Many of the things will just take time to get used to. The MS Office file format will be changing. That means that the Mac version will also have to be changing.

Just wait another year. Think, MacWorld 2008.

Wasn't the new MS Office just released with Vista? I wasn't aware there was a delay in porting. I guess I'll pin my hopes on iWork spreadsheet. I hate Rosetta. Yes it works, but it's slow and hogs memory.

The only two programs I use that aren't Universal are Photoshop CS2 and MS Office.

 

[blashphemy]

MWSF Keynote

The probable MWSF keynote, in my opinion. EVERYTHING is pure 100% original speculation:

1) Hi everyone, thx for coming.
2) Release iLife '07, iWork '07. iWeb '07 supports more blogging services, podcasts, vodcasts straight to iTunes podcast directory, if not YouTube/Google Video. Compatible with new features of Leopard which have not been announced yet, and some other new features. iWork '07 includes a spreadsheet program.
3) Announce Leopard. Spills every detail, including being able to run Windows files natively if XP/Vista is installed via the final release of boot camp, which finally 100% supports Apple's Bluetooth keyboard. DX10 supported if Vista installed for future mac gfx cards that support DX10. everything runs natively , no virtual PC's to mess with ==> everything Windows related is on a separate Boot Camp partition ==> Leopard will be able to read and write to NTFS. Other Leopard top-secret features announced. Shipping April 1st.
4) "Now there REALLY isnt a reason to buy a windows computer anymore... except price. To help bridge the gap:"
5) mac minis get $100 price reduction, Macs and MacBooks get $150 reduction. MacBook Pro's and Mac Pro's get $250 reduction.
6) say something about iPod's competitors offering better features: "well, beat this:"
7) introducing vPod: Featuring a 3.5" widescreen. Touchscreen. Wide, oval, nearly flat Bluetooth heaphones that clip onto both sides of the vPod when not in use, simply unclip afterwards to use and slide smoothly but securely onto your ear. Wide oval design allows superior bass response. Headphones when clipped on help keep vPod from scratching etc. vPod has much improved brightness, contrast, 720x480 resolution. UI is improved, looks like Front Row. Bezel is touchable, allowing easier access to songs or other content than a big thumb and works in conjunction with touchscreen interface. iTunes now allows you to rip DVD's straight to vPod, iPod video. DVDs are never stored on PC and cannot be transferred from iPod to PC. Multiple drives = multiple DVDs burned without having to switch, just have 2 DVDs encode overnight or attach more via USB or internally to encode even more overnight. vPod comes in 60 GB or 100 GB, $399 and $449 respectively. Supports transferring music via Bluetooth, but USB is recommended. No WiFi. 60 GB: black or white, 100 GB: same silver used with MBP (i forget exactly what it is). Shipping Jan. 31.
8) One more thing...
9) Referred to iTV, well here it is: first of all, unlock AirPort Unlimited (802.11n) in recent products, then iTV: renamed to iCenter: center of multimedia universe. Built-in with configurable HDD up to 500 GB, base model is 80 GB. Works as a TiVo, also can access media content from PC. Access YouTube, Google Video from TV. Can even work as a backup hard drive for Time Machine. Support for HDMI, HDCP. Same Apple Universal remote. Starts at $149.
10) One more thing:
11) iPhone. Looks pretty much exactly like current nanos but with touch screen. UI, again, looks like Front Row: shift between photos, music, phone. touch top of screen at any time to go to phone, music pauses. keypad then substitues clickwheel. otherwise, pretty much the same as a nano. Available immediately from Apple, 2 GB version is $199 and 4 GB version is $249. Calling plans competitive: $80/mo unlimited, $40/mo 1000 minutes. All incoming is free. All text messages are free, helped by an onscreen keyboard that overlaps the chat window. Shipping immediately, but not available online and only available in the Apple stores near cities supported ==> not available in all areas, but Apple is extending its network.

I think thats about it. Some of those features are not gonna happen, just too complex for Apple, but a guy can dream, can't he?
Mac mini updates, Mac Pro 8-core updates to be silent updates soon after Leopard is released, say mid- to late-february.

Mac tablet reserved for MacWorld Paris 2007.

Thoughts?

 

[SeaFox]

PiperJaffray's Gene Munster (via Appleinsider) offers his analysis of circulating rumors providing a ranking of likelyhood of rumors for the upcoming Macworld San Francisco and beyond. In order of most likely to least, the rumors include: iPhone (10/10), iTV (10/10), Candy Bar form-factor to iPhone (9/10), Wireless Touch-Screen iPod (7/10), keyboarded iPhone (7/10), 4GB/8GB models (6/10), 12" Ultraportable MacBook Pro (4/10), Mac OS X 10.5 release at Macworld (3/10) and iChat Mobile Video/IM on iPhone (2/10).

Interesting he put so little faith in Leopard but so much in a Wireless Touchscreen iPod. I don't think the next iPod will be wireless. What capacity for the iPhone does he see? 4/8 GB makes perfect sense to me.

 

[SeaFox]

So is there a way for me to ask Santa for a raincheck on the whole Christmas-gift-giving thing?

Dear Santa,
I've been a good boy all year, so can you please wait until Steve Jobs unleashes the iPhone and then grab one for me and leave it in my living room whenever that might be? I'll leave milk, cookies and carrots for the reindeer out the night after the announcement. Thanks, Kris.

- MrFirework

What do you think, will that work?

Ask Santa for a raincheck? Yup, it's called an Apple Gift Card. Ask Santa for a raincheck? Yup, it's called an Apple Gift Card.

Yeah, don't make Santa drive all the way back to your house in mid-January to leave you an iPhone.

 

[Donz0r]

Just for fun.

I don't know what everyone has against sliders, I think it's the most practical way to do an ipod/phone ( that is, until Apple surprises me with some new, unique idea)

Closed - iPod. Open - iPhone ... seems so simple...

(I made this, in a very short amount of time, so cool the flames)

 

[spicyapple]

The probable MWSF keynote, in my opinion. EVERYTHING is pure 100% original speculation:

Thoughts?

That's actually a pretty good possible scenario for MWSF almost down to a tee.

The enhanced Windows-support and nano iPhone with FrontRow UI are great predictions. I don't think Apple will release a vPod at the same time as the iPhone. One thing, they will announce more movie studios signing up for the iTS and a shipping date for iTV.

 

[Donz0r]

The probable MWSF keynote, in my opinion. EVERYTHING is pure 100% original speculation:


Thoughts?

Eh, that's a little too much for one keynote. Thats what I WANT to happen, but I think it'll just be. iTV with more movie studios, iPhone( just because there's so many rumors lately, it has to be imminent), more leopard features maybe? no leopard, Maybe video iPod ( it makes sense if they release iTV and more movies, they'll say "One more thing, (while examining the graph with lines that connect mac, tv, and iPod. they'll zoom in on the ipod and be like, yadda yadda Video iPod). But i think iTV and iPhone.

 

[e-coli]

All I care about is that the phone has a good web browser on it. If it doesn't...well then that's just pure crap.